Can I Get A Bernier? No, No I Can’t

I was going to make a post pleading that we would see Jonathan Bernier in goal tonight. I decided to wait until the official word from Hammond. Would an appeal to reason an hour ago have meant anything? Not likely. Jonathan Quick is getting the start tonight.

Look, I’m not worried about Quick in the slightest. Playing a back-to-back this early in the season isn’t a big deal particularly when he just had 3 days off, even if it is his second back-to-back of the early season…. at some point I have to figure out how to make a facepalm on wordpress. But why the hell can’t we play Bernier in the most obvious situation? If we were playing Nashville tonight, would Bernier have gotten the nod? I bet you he would have.

I suppose it’s possible that Bernier plays, like he should, since Hammond’s update used the term “expected” and there is no team skate today, but I doubt it.

I know what the reasoning is going to be too. Quick played really well last night (he did). The Ducks are a division rival, making their games extra important (they are). We’re gonna ride the hot hand here (because veering from that strategy earlier in the season didn’t work out so well). But reasoning be damned, Quick played well but was not so incredibly stupendous that we just can’t take him out for one game. It’s not like he’s on a 200+ minute shutout streak or anything. The Ducks are division rivals but we are better than them and Bernier should have no trouble beating them if the team can pull its offensive head out of its ass, which they have to at some point, can’t keep expecting the GAA to be under 2. This hot hand theory shouldn’t get in the way of Bernier getting enough to games to be useful when we do play him, because there is going to come a time when he needs to play, when even Murray can’t justify keeping him out of the lineup, and if he doesn’t play the obvious ones like tonight, when that time does come, he’s going to be rusty. Yes, it is the job of the back-up to be ready whenever he does get the call, but I just can’t think of one good reason NOT to put Bernier in net tonight against one of the league’s most offensively pathetic teams.

Also, Brad Richardson is going to sit again. And what do you want to bet that Andrei Loktionov doesn’t see any powerplay time?

Hey, we bagged 2 points last night. I’m fully confident we bag two more tonight. I also feel that this game will be a high scoring affair. I feel that it will be for both teams, but I do foresee the Kings scoring 3 or 4 goals. So the wagon may be riding steadily, the wheels aren’t falling off. But is that some rust I see on a hinge? There’s a loose bolt on here somewhere, I know it. There’s still a fat ass on board and though he’s being towed, that’s load bearing weight I’m not sure we can support for too long.

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… Hahahaha. You thought Bernier might be in there tonight? Yeah, well – I did too. How stupid of me.

You know what? You were right in your other post. There is only one goalie on this team. Might as well accept it, I guess. I’m tired of thinking (hoping?) otherwise. We’re at game 19 tonight and Bernier has three starts. He’s on pace for about thirteen starts this season. So much for the progress Bernier made last season.

I’m not going to ever root for this team to lose, nor do I harbor ill will against Quick. He’s a good guy. He got the nod, and all potential competition for him has been buried or kicked to the side. It’s Quick or bust.

I won’t be able to watch the game tonight : -( but I forsew a Kings 5 to 3 victory over the pond scum. Richards should have a big game tonight, also Clifford.
That’s bull that we aren’t seeing Bernier today but we’ll see if it’s the right call.
I say bad call by Murray. He never was able to handle goalies well.

Bernier’s new name is officially Erik Ersberg. Hot hand my ass. Murray just doesn’t have confidence in Bernier. He is mishandling this entire goalie situation and has clearly not learned one fucking thing from two seasons ago. Moron.

… I’ve been calling him Bersberg every so often. As Yogi Berra would say, “It’s deja vu all over again.”

The funny/confounding thing about the goalie situation this season is still the fact that Bernier got the start after Quick got the three shutouts in a row. That one I still can’t figure out. I’m a Bernier fan and I would have kept giving Quick the starts until he gave one up. I don’t profess to have the first clue as to what’s going through Murray’s mind at times.

Before I get my .02 in, the hourly Sidney Crobsy update, Sidney is not playing in the game tonight. I am getting so sick and tired having to hear about this every single day. NHL Live will not go a day without asking about Crosby. EJ when there is nothing new to report, then there is nothing new to report. That little small moving information bar you see, also has to throw in the Crosby update.
Ok I am done with my temper tantrum.

Sadly nobody can figure out what the thought process or lack there of goes on in TM’s head. Even TM can’t figure it out.
I really scratched my head also after seeing Quick win those 3 games in a row without giving up a goal. I got to talk with Nick Nixon at Tip A King and I asked him a few questions one being the decision to play Bernier after the 3 shutouts in a row by Quick. Before I share with you what Nick said I need to refer to what TM was quoted during training camp “LA Kings coach Terry Murray appeared to soften his stance during training camp – expressing he’d be more willing to play the ‘hot’ goalie this year.”
I guess TM’s definition of “hot” differs from everyone else.
Nick said he could not understand it either, stating Murray was the coach and every coach has their own game plan, so this was Murray’ decision to go with Bernier.
If you were to look up contradiction in the dictionary, TM would be pictured right there in the meaning.
“Bernier, who played in 25 regular season games, earning an 11-8-3 record, with a 2.48 GAA, a .913 save percentage and three shutouts, may see a bit more action in 2011-12. Huh??? How is 17 more than 25 at the current pace?
“There will probably be more games there,” said Murray. “I don’t have it planned out as I did last year at this time. Jonathan Quick is our number one goaltender. That’s the way it is coming [into training camp].”?????????
“There will probably be more games there, I don’t have it planned out like I did last year at this time”
Almost everything I have read, from last year and up to this year where TM is asked the question about how he is going to handle the goalie situation, he always says “I don’t or I’m not sure”
I think trying to predict or ponder how or what TM is going to decide is just futile.

Damn I forgot to get this in. I will refer to a Bizzism by Bizznasty2.0
Bernier is now a grocery stick.
For those who are not familiar with this Bizzism, when you go to the market, and you have someone in front of you or behind you and you place your items on the conveyor belt, you put a “grocery stick” down to separate your items from the other patrons items.
Bernier defaults to being the grocery stick on the bench. Normally the guy who sits between the forwards and defenseman who may or may not play is the “grocery stick”
Bernier could also be considered the doorman, since he is often the guy who opens and closes one of the doors on the bench.

I counted 4 mistakes by 3 players. Gagne got bunched up on the back check. Johnson got juked, but recovered, bad decision to tip that puck, then Doughty gap control and stick work. All poor. Soon as they entered the zone on that play I thought ‘shit’. Can’t pin that one solely on Jack.

I didn’t absolve Johnson, yeesh. I said there were lots of mistakes in that sequence. Even if JJ’s was worse, two other players had a chance to break that play up before it went in the net, so you can’t just say it was JJ’s fault.

If they send Lokti back down when Pens is outta IR that’ll be a sin. Loktionov looks hungry to play. Few more games to get reacclimated with the speed and intensity of NHL level games and that kid’ll be scoring on a regular basis.